A court in Italy will decide in 10 days if the former chief of Ukraine's presidential border guard service should be extradited to Kyiv.

Mykola Melnychenko was detained on an Interpol warrant in Naples on August 3, on his arrival from the United States, where he had obtained political asylum several years ago.

In 1998 -2000, Melnychenko allegedly recorded conversations in the office of then Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma and made them public in 2000, which dramatically affected Ukraine's domestic and foreign policy.

The recordings revealed Kuchma's possible involvement into the murder of journalist Heorhiy Gongadze in 2000.

Melnychenko's lawyer said on August 4 that the court in Naples took into consideration Melnychenko's request not to extradite him to Ukraine and will look into his request in 10 days.